Mandolin attachment for pianos



March 9,1926. 1,575,728

M. WEBER MNDOLIFI ATTACHMENT FOR PIANOS Filed 001:. 27, 1924 7 deyice Wherebyithe,(lev-lce my theaoperator Whenjde Y F a y ai iin h P a o,

' MANDQLiNATTACHMENT nonrrnnos.

i Amil icat ion; fi ledioctobe r 2'7, Q1924. serial no fitter,

- ;.Be it known that I, MAX- Wi lem; of, the n'ited. States, residing at Detroit, n

' the county o f-WaynQ'andState otMichigan, j have inventedgge; new and useful Improver eia "p i l yi o s rings adapt drfor V 'i ng W actuating. ha'injnier and. the

. T The invention, esfshown. in; the; drawings,

]is1'app'lied1 to {a piano and may be f used with jasilentg. piano or a: mechanical piano.-

;An:- -objectqofthe intention is to provide 'arl'nechanism Which may belorought into en- =gag'en 1entwith a; plurality of strings of the pi an'o jatllthekwill of the operator, sojas to p 0due, 'w1 1.ilfe the; piano is-being pla ed that produced by, a mandolin;

' It i's'"en- -object of thev invention c01 3rovidef of such a 25.2, a construction and arrangement e us d-by 111; Lin no of he pianowhe'n' the i position.;. 1 1

" provide innwrleviceiot thisfclass aplurality adapted for suspension in *close proxnnity -r arrztngement and construction offthe inven I 1 It isyanother object' 'of-the invention to i adapted for engagementgwhen "in 7 ,a' certain v position iththe svibrating'strings ofthe piano; andso '-suspenclecllthatthey may v1- lbr ate at different Velooities' depending upon the'vibretion of the stringsotthepieno with sh e d? F ry'P anQsm Q i -q,, Other obj cts ill-appear. hereinafter.

dev je is 11n inopere.

'- It; is another the invention .tothestringS ofthe piano,=;so, as to be en-V gagecl by the strings when *the'strings theln- "selves are set in vibration by 1 the V hammers ofth'e piano Inlthis structure, the hammers V r floj notstrikethe *en'gagingfmemloers, the

p tion bein such that-the] usual operation-Qt v the; hammers; and'j-the operation of the g zi-ctuetinge mechanism of the-piano in ge'n'erailis 1 not in any way; interfered with. =Theinethod of mounting thelooselyf'suspended engaging 1 'amernbers :is such that there is lid-probab lity v (of their becoming-jvound around the strings of thepiano orci-u-ght between the strings,

-over the sounding boardr 12 and suspended therefrom by the v use of proper bridges are the pi ano strings "llwhich engage 'the; pressure bar '10. ,A' hrass-tube,-v.l or g'supporting' .--meInber, 1,3:isn1ounted in a suitable bea ring I '14,;Which;is securecltoone sideeiof the i110 provide el -plurality of engaging Ineinloers stringswillgbe cleter nined solely bY'filliYfiIiv cation in the Vibrations of thefstrings thernselves and results fromgthe loose end free mounting of theengeging members. I

. Another 'object of the invention is theprovision of a -cleviceof thisclass which mayibef 7 brought into operative position] or -inovel to inoperative position byfthe operator a;

-Will-irrespective as to whether: the. piano is being played or'not at the time of: move: ment of the device fronreither position to the other. This is brought aboutbecause of 7 the specific structure 7; and arrangement [of "the glevice ancl complete -non-disturbance of he actuating and operating n echanisrn of the piano in general. i

' Another object of the inventionislthe pro- "lYlSlQIi of a 'cle ice-o'f this class which will be ,an

' 'efiie'ctawherebyjthe Inusic rendered---resexnbles ve so tha t y. ea y, Pr 3 ins a le byi-Ieegl t ,The invention consistsljin,thecoinbinations, n a d erren em tsl P? -scrrbd; and claimed, i.

and in which,

hereinafter The] invention ill f. I from a reference totheaccoinpgnyi d w V ings, Whichform a part of thisspeci ficzttion,

Fig.; 1 is'a fragmen-ter yitoji olaniitievs of I the "solniclinglooarchot as pianoshowingn portion of the-strings and illustrating the invention in mounted. position in(side elev tlion,

Fig. ,2 -is a sectional-View on stantially line of Fig. -1, z

r Fig. 3 is sectional wv 'epv takenon substantielly linej 3 3 ofgFig, -1,; v

F g--; i a e a e eemen e'li is fii ele ationaltiew; illustrating the structure of the engagement members. v ,e

Fig. 5. is e sectional let l s h v iie h attachment of the buttons; 7 1f "which is a sounding board] [12. Projected EIn Fig; 1,;1'. have shownth'e sides 293ml C9 of thepiano casinggextendinglbetween' tons are of such size', th1t they cannot lodg r e, A v. .7 e we m h .fi in an 'inmy ng g a t 'e wbrfleketlfi mounted 0n-t1 one of the; strings ata 'antime-ioll" iIiore than,

' bolt '17 of the piano; 1 one, vdepending il'pon 'jthei li' size and the par 6 wardly from the tube tig L- llzmposiitiog;g direction of movementwin sectionfof the treble clefl response the ibration oflthe' string swingyfvio'l entlyenough" to Strike theif isup' lower en and iter'rnihabing jviizlries 10W portlngmember above the pol nt of cQnnec ube 19;. ore int the lo vqer ,pfed itQf tionhbove' the string; 21 theiWifihfii sou' bei 18 a; will'jbe given-"out; inasmuch as the 4111 'd'lto "eye1et23, tube'jl iwillnotgluponen mg the butt mgi-jn rela-tion'to prod'u'cela ly sound; It'i -01:1 sequently'se efi'ag mel lijflnehibor's 22'. thatf t'he covering of filiefll weljportioi of 's?sp'eeifioatiohgtheso 7 shall 1 y p r to'thestr'iki'ng 1inei38 '0; the hammersfi, long as; the tubes and f/he Suspended to-ns are nobin ch po ones to' bo 39gwhieh s mounted o'n th .evi its" e V The arrangement'igmdstrucfiur-"of he. ",spril-rg 39' is-believed*tolbefapparelifi the some comp'r ising-gpspiral sprihgwoundienj I t'heltu-be "24; one endjof whieh is secured-t0 '7 is in en agement with thedarmB, so that,

I when the tube 24L is rockedto operative posil l tion,jth e spring is placed "under tension. 7

While Ihave illustrated-and descrlbed the 'preferriedform of construction, I do not a Wish toflimitmyselfto the precise constructionffshown but desire to avail,- myself of such :variations' and modifications as come a wvithin thescope of, the appended claims.

I Iclaini as new and't'desireto secure-ibyLet- -II aving thus described invention, What tersPatenti-sr 1'. (A device of tlie class described adapted for'usejwith stringed musical instruments,

cor'np'r sing a supporting member extend ng across the strings for" said instrument a V plurality of suspens on members jmounted on s'aid supporting member andco'ntact buttons mountedonsaid SULSPGIISIOIIIIIBmbGI'S H1 "free swingablerelation thereto;.nieans for jg". covering therlower portionof said' suspen- 'sion members for prevent ng sound produc-' T; in'g contact withj'said buttons,- said supportl,in'g fmemb er being adapted for rocking ,movement for bringing I said buttons into engagementwithsaid strings or :moving the same out of said engagement. 1

1 of sai'd musieal instrument;

'. '1 device adapted for- '2, Ajde'vice adapted for Fuse with a; -;;,i str'ing ed musical instrument, comprising a V plurality of supporting members, adapted for- ,rocking independently of each other; a pluraflity offieely, 'syvingable'qconta 'ct "members f i carried by each-jot said supporting members means for; rocking said supporting members simultaneously forflbringin'g said coi'itact mjember'sfiritOengagement; with the strings plurality of supporting lmenibers, jadapted I for rockingjindependently-of each other; a

plurality of freely-s vingable contact member's carried by'each'of said supporting memi bers; means: foniroeking said supporting I 'members :simultaneously forf bringlng sald "contact member's'into engagement with the strings-"of said; musical instrument; and

manually operable means for'rocking one, J of said supportingmembers for moving said a contact members out of engagement with p use with a str nged fmuslcal nstrument, comprising a said strings; and resilient means for rockingthe other of said supporting members for.

bringing the contact members carried thereby out of engagement with said strings.

4. An attachmeent for stringed musical instruments, comprising a pair of independ-' ent supporting members; freely s'wingable contact members carriedby' each offsaid sup portin members adapted for engagement With t e strings of saidmusical' instrument When inoperative position ;'Q lever'for rock- 1 ing one of said supporting'emembers for bringing said contact members 1nto operative position; anriarm'mounted. onsaid supporting member; an arm mounted on' the other supporting member and adapted for engaging said arm, said arms'being co-operative for rocking-the other said'supporting mem-H; ber upon the rocking of said first mentioned "supporting member.

5. An attachment instruments, comprising a rockingly mounted supporting member; a plurality of freely I swin'gable contact members carried by said supporting member; an additional rockingly mounted supporting member; similar con Y for stringed musical tact members carried by said. additional supf porting member; an arm fixedly mounted I on 'saidfirst mentioned supporting membery anaarm fixedlymounted on said second men-1 tioned supporting-memberhaving the free end'thereof curved'and adapted :for engage-,1; ment-l with said first mentioned arm;"n1eans for rocking said first mentioned 'supporting member said arm on said supporting member being adapted. forefiecting the. reci ing fof said second mentioned supporting -L member upon'therocking of said first mentioned supporting member; manually op-= erable means forrocking said first mentioned supporting memberto inoperative position; and resilient means for rocklng saidsecond mentioned supporting member to in-e operative position.

-;operative position upon the rocking-of said {first ment'ioned supporting member to in.-

In testimony whereof, I have'signed them foregoing specificationf MAX WEBER. 

